Maldivian Foreign Minister Abdullah Shahid inaugurated here today the Republic of Maldives Embassy Building in Riyadh with the presence of Saudi State Minister for Foreign Affairs Nizar Obaid Madani. In an address on the occasion, Ambassador Hussain Shihab said " The Government of The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz, has guided and assisted us through the entire process of the establishment work, and I thank His Majesty the King and his government on behalf of the government and people of my country." The Maldivian Foreign Minister said "This is a very historic occasion for my country - the opening of the Maldives Embassy in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. I must most profoundly thank the President of the Maldives, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, for assigning me such an honorable and most worthy task, such as establishing an embassy, in a country not only sharing our noble faith, but also having the two most holiest shrines of Islam. " "Ever since Maldives established diplomatic relations in 1981 with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia many sincere people have contributed to the strengthening of the relations between the two countries, " he added. Speaking on the occasion, Maldivian Honorary Consul General in Jeddah, Abdul Azeeze Hanafy welcomed the inauguration of the Maldivian Embassy in Riyadh which is the first Maldivian Embassy to be open in the Arab Gulf region as will as in the Middle East.
